I’m not a cyclist nor do I ride my bike a lot but I’ve always wanted to get one of those cool Ortlieb bike pannier bags that you sling over the back of your bike rack.
I imagined it would come in handy if I ever needed to run to the grocery store on my bike. I could simply throw my groceries into the pannier bag and be on my way.
I came really close to buying one until I saw the price and that’s when reality set in.
I couldn’t justify spending a couple hundred dollars on a pair of bike pannier bags that I might use for the occasional one off trips to the grocery store. Maybe I could if I thought I could use them in non bike scenarios like as a duffel bag but I couldn’t really picture myself carrying one around so I let it go and that was that.
A bike pannier bag for the professional who cycles to work?
Flash forward a few years- my husband gets a new job where he will commute to work on his bike a couple of times a week and I thought “finally, we can get one of those amazing bike panniers for him to put his work stuff in”.
He could carry everything he needed to bring to the office in his pannier bag- his computer, his lunch, an extra change of clothes, a jacket and work documents.
I started researching and realized that a classic bike pannier might not be the best solution for my husband to commute to work after all. Damn.
Bike panniers are essentially thick, large plastic bags that you fill and stuff similar to how you might pack your back pack. My husband would essentially have to throw everything into the bike pannier bag in one messy cluttered heap.
His clothes would get wrinkled and any work documents he put in there might get crushed. Smaller items like his wallet or keys would get lost and his laptop would be in there somewhere too.
What my husband needed was a computer bag / garment bag. He needed a versatile hybrid bicycle bag that he could bring with him on his bike that didn’t scream “I’m a bike bag”.
Well guess what, a convertible garment pannier bag actually exists.
A company called “Two Way Gear” has actually created a garment pannier bag for professionals who cycle to work like my husband. The bag is called “Two Wheel Gear Classic 2.0 Garment Pannier”
It’s basically a convertible garment bag or suit bag / computer bag / pannier bag all in one and it connects to the rear bike rack like a traditional pannier bag.
Here are all of the features I love about this versatile garment pannier bike bag
It’s a waterproof garment bag:
This two wheel garment pannier bag is made of a thick coated polyester and includes a rain cover so if god forbid you get stuck in the rain at least the contents of your bag will stay dry.
It’s big and it holds a lot of stuff including your laptop
The bag itself measures 38.5 x 3 x 19 inches and weighs about 4.4 pounds. It has a capacity of 55 Litres which is really big. I went backpacking across Europe for 3 weeks with a smaller back pack than that so you know it can hold everything you need and then some.
You can easily pack 3 to 5 garments and keeps them relatively wrinkle free. You can also also fit a towel, a work folder and a 15 inch laptop and accessories.
It has really deep exterior pockets where you can easily pack a pair of shoes, a lunch, your toiletries and bike maintenance tools.
6 utility loops to hook things
There are several loops attached to the zippers where you can clip lights for extra visibility at night. If you have a spare carabineer you can clip on a portable speaker if that’s how you want to roll.
It’s reflective for night visibility:
There are some reflective accents on the side of the bag which face the rear of the bike which is a must have for cyclists at night. The reflective accents are very discreet, not like your typical reflective material- very tastefully done if you ask me.
The bag looks like professional luggage:
This bag does not look like a bike bag. It looks very professional which is perfect for going from bike to the office and to the airport if you need to.
You can use it as carry on bag:
Flying with a garment bag is great for business travellers because it keeps your clothes relatively wrinkle free. Luckily, this bag meets standard airline carry-on requirements so you can bring it on the plane as your carry on bag.
Mounts to any standard bike rack.
The bag latches on to any standard bike rack and locks in place so it won’t go flying off during your commute if you jump a curb or hit a pothole.
It’s well made:
When you touch and hold this bag you know it’s well constructed. From the thick heavy material and stitching down to the zippers. You can tell the designers tried to think of every little detail a professional cycle commuter might want or need in a bag like this.
The company also lets you try the bag risk free. You have 30 days to try the bag and if it doesn’t meet your expectations, you can return it for a full refund.
It has a two year limited warranty that basically guarantees your bag is free of defects in material and workmanship starting from the date of purchase. (excluding damage if you have an accident or from natural wear and tear)
Cost:
The two wheel pannier garment bike bag will set you back a little less than 200 US dollars which might seem like a lot but don’t forget your getting a 3 for one with this durable bag that will probably last you a lifetime. It doubles as a bike pannier bag, a garment bag, a computer bag and weekend bag all in one.
So there you have it. My personal review on the perfect garment pannier bike bag for professionals who commute to work on bike.
